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Donetsk republic, Kiev forces exchange prisoners in 2 for 4 format

Two Ukrainian servicemen were swapped for four DPR soldiers

MOSCOW, September 8. /TASS/. Militias of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) and representatives of the Ukrainian army command have exchanged prisoners in the 2 for 4 format, the Donetsk News Agency reported on Tuesday.

Thus, two Ukrainian servicemen were swapped for four DPR soldiers.

The previous prisoner exchange took place on August 26, when Kiev released 12 DPR militias in exchange of 12 Ukrainian troops. One of the latters however opted to stay in the DPR.

Prisoner exchanges in the ‘all for all’ format is one of the key provisions of the Package of Measures on the implementation of the Minsk agreements that was signed in the Belarusian capital Minsk on February 12 after marathon talks between the leaders of Russia, Germany, France and Ukraine.

Apart from that, the 13-point Package of Measures on implementation of the September 2014 Minsk agreements, known as Minsk-2, in particular included an agreement on cessation of fire from February 15, withdrawal of heavy armaments, as well as measures on long-term political settlement of the situation in Ukraine, including establishment of working subgroups as priority tasks.